1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for efficiently developing and processing a plurality of screens and state transitions for business application software that perform, illustratively, fundamental office administration processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Given their multi-functionality, business software applications that perform basic office administration and like process comprise a plurality of screens and are executed while states thereof undergo complex transitions. Accordingly, a device that efficiently develops and processes a plurality of screens and transition states for business application software is desired.
Application generating frameworks, such as fourth generation language (4GL) and card-type databases that automatically time database and display screen interaction have been available hitherto. Such systems are, however, ill-suited to handling screen transitions inherent in complex condition judgments and attendant data not stored in a database. This is attributable in part to the one-to-one correspondence between screens and database items, as well as the need to create code to control states for each screen.
The related art is plagued further by its inability to respond to so-called three-tier client server systems that have taken into consideration load dispersion.
Furthermore, because screens in the related art are prepared based on database items, independent determination of screen definitions is problematic. In actual development processes there have been many instances in which database items and screen items are simultaneously developed with the aim of enhancing efficiency. However, application of the related art to these types of situations has been difficult.
In card-type databases, on the other hand, database items are determined contemporaneously with screen development. This type of arrangement, too, is questionable, because of its inability to express complex relationships among data that are used, illustratively, in relational databases.